The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has rejected suggestions that he should step aside if opposition parties eventually agree to back another presidential candidate against President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, made the position on Monday during an interview on Frontline on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, Ogun State.
The question came against the backdrop of the G100 initiative seeking greater cooperation among opposition parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Shaibu confirmed that Atiku’s camp was actively involved in the opposition discussions.
This development highlights the complex challenge facing the G100 pressure group convened by Salihu Lukman as it attempts to unite fragmented political factions under a single grand alliance while navigating the unyielding ambitions of veteran political heavyweights He, however, said the G100 initiative should not be understood simply as an attempt to produce one presidential candidate.
“We are actively involved in the process and as you and I are talking now, there is only one presidential candidate today. That’s Atiku Abubakar and he has pushed the administration into the opposition. So, why would a candidate step down for the opposition?” Shaibu queried.
According to him, the central objective was to develop a coordinated opposition strategy, including common messaging and collaboration among opposition leaders.
“One of the major principles behind it is that we must come together to put together ideas. That is the fundamental principle of the G100 agenda,” he said.
He said opposition leaders and spokespersons should work together and communicate around shared issues.
“The leaders must work together, the spokespersons must work together, common messaging, same topic, same messaging,” Shaibu said.
The SSA to the former vice president described the ultimate objective as defeating the Tinubu administration in the 2027 election. He acknowledged that a single presidential candidate could eventually emerge from the process but insisted that this was not the primary focus.
“So, if possible, one single candidate will emerge. In fact, it is on the last radar of the agenda of the G100,” he said.
When asked directly whether Atiku would step aside if another candidate emerged as the preferred opposition choice, Shaibu declined to make such a commitment. He instead returned to his argument that the single-candidate question was not central to the G100 agenda.
“The issue of even the issue of candidature or single candidature is the least on the agenda of the G100,” he said.
The statement effectively places Atiku at the centre of the opposition campaign despite the ongoing discussions among several opposition political forces.
Shaibu said Atiku’s campaign had moved beyond the question of personalities and was instead focused on what he called the people’s struggle. He repeatedly framed the coming election as a contest between Nigerians and the Tinubu administration.
“We are saying the people deserve to breathe again. It is Tinubu versus the whole Nigerians” he said.
Shaibu said Atiku’s campaign message was built around restoring the purchasing power of Nigerians and changing economic policies he believes have increased hardship. He therefore rejected the idea that Atiku should automatically surrender his candidacy to another opposition politician.
“The issue of stepping down or not stepping down is, in fact, is a non-starter because we have moved this campaign beyond that point to the people,” he said.
Shaibu said the opposition could still coordinate its campaign without necessarily publicly announcing a single presidential candidate. He pointed to the recent Osun State governorship election as an example of how opposition forces could coordinate without necessarily presenting one candidate stating that such coordination could be part of a broader electoral strategy
“It happened in Osun. The Osun template should tell you better that, look, we have multiple candidates in Osun. You can unite as opposition without necessarily coming out to say, this is our single candidate,” he said.
Shaibu however declined to disclose the details of the strategy being developed by the opposition.
“We will not come out publicly to announce who our candidate is. We have our strategy. It is close to our chest,” he said.
Shaibu also argued that the 2027 election would be determined largely by Nigerians’ experience of poverty, insecurity and economic hardship.
“The election in 2027 is a referendum against poverty, hunger and insecurity” he said.
According to him, the opposition’s challenge was therefore to present a compelling alternative rather than simply negotiate political positions. He said Atiku’s campaign had already settled on a central message built around the economic wellbeing of Nigerians.
Shaibu also rejected the argument that it was time for political power to remain in the South after Tinubu’s presidency.
“About power returning to the South and all, hunger does not even understand geography. A man who is hungry in Ijebu ode is the same as a man who is hungry in Akwa Ibom. When we allow these people begin to continue to manipulate our minds with this same issue of geography, then we know that we will continue to remain in perpetual poverty and they will continue to use us. Poverty does not understand any language. It does not understand region. It does not understand North or South, East or West. It is about performance,” Shaibu said.
Shaibu expressed confidence that Atiku would defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the former vice president’s determination to restore subsidy would not be derailed by the incumbent.
“One million Tinubu cannot stop him, we will win.” Shaibu said.
The Atiku camp’s position comes as opposition leaders continue discussions over possible collaboration ahead of 2027 as recent reports have shown that the G100 has held consultations with several opposition parties and leaders, including Atiku and other major opposition figures.
